Rider in lugaw controversy won’t file complaint vs. barangay officer —Grab

Grab delivery rider Marvin Ignacio will not be filing a complaint against the barangay officer who prohibited him from delivering lugaw or rice porridge to a customer amid the enhanced community quarantine in the NCR Plus bubble.

"The driver is not contemplating on filing a complaint," Grab Philippines Communication Team told GMA News Online in a phone interview.

In a video taken by Ignacio that has gone viral, the barangay officer from a village in San Jose Del Monte, Bulacan can be heard insisting that lugaw is a non-essential good.

However, clarifying that food delivery services are allowed to operate beyond curfew hours, Malacañang said that lugaw is an essential good and food delivery operations must remain unhampered during ECQ. 

LIST: Industries allowed to operate during ECQ

For his part, Department of the Interior and Local Government Undersecretary for Barangay Affairs Martin Diño said his office would entertain complaints against the local official.

Diño clarified that the official is not yet sacked from her post at the Barangay Muzon's Violence Against Women and Children office. Due process will be observed once a complaint is filed against her, Diño added.

"Hindi mo naman basta-basta tatanggalin 'yung ganon, una di naman nagreklamo 'yung ano... na-viral lang..." Diño told GMA News Online in a phone interview.

(We can't just remove her from her post. The man did not file a complaint, the video just went viral.)

"Kung magfa-file kayo ng complaint, bukas ang opisina ko para ano... mayroon naman tayong complaint center sa DILG kung mayroong pangaabuso, may ginawa. Saka bago naman natin tanggalin 'yan, titingnan muna natin ano ba sinadya ba 'yan o talaga bang ano, o di lang naintindihan ng nanita..." he added.

(If you want to file a complaint, my office is open. We have a DILG complaint center for reported abuses. Before we remove her from her post, we need to know if it is intentional, or maybe the enforcer did not understand the rules.)

Grab Philippines earlier issued a statement amid the controversy, echoing the government's remark that lugaw is also essential. — BM, GMA News